Samuel Adams Beer Removes God From Declaration of Independence Quote

Samuel Adams beer made a play for the patriotic at heart and that play has put the company at the center of religious controversy.  You may have seen their new commercial that uses a recitation of the Declaration of Independence. But did you notice a key phrase is missing?

Missing from the quote are the words “endowed by their Creator.”

The commercial features a bartender pouring a draft Samuel Adams Boston lager and explaining why the brewery named the company after the founder.

“Why name a beer after Samuel Adams? Because Samuel Adams signed the Declaration of Independence,” the bartender says. “He believed there was a better way to live: all men are created equal. They are endowed with certain unalienable rights: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Smooth, flavorful, we bow to no kings. Samuel Adams Boston lager: declare your independence.”

Note that the actual quote from the Declaration of Independence is: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

According to TheBlaze.com, their reader, Edward S. forwarded them an alleged explanation he received from Samuel Adams regarding the omission. According to the forwarded email, Sam Adams decided to cut the “Creator” phrase because it violated the Beer Institute’s guidelines on not using religion in commercials.

From the purported explanation:

The Beer Institute Advertising Code says, “Beer advertising and marketing materials should not include religion or religious themes.”

Sure enough, according to the Beer Institute’s website, the group does discourage such a practice.

Of course, though we're really not crazy with God being used to promote beer sales, but if the company is not going to adhere to a quote — especially such an important one — then why use it at all?

Check out the coverage of this on Fox and Friends this past week.